Australia fears domestic extremism from Syria conflict

SYDNEY (AFP) - The conflict in Syria poses new risks of homegrown extremism in Australia, with citizens returning radicalised after fighting there, the government warned Tuesday.

Attorney General George Brandis said the civil war which has left more than 130,000 dead and forced millions from their homes presented a "complex set of global security challenges" that extend far beyond the Syrian border.

Two men were arrested in Australia in December and charged with foreign incursion offences after fighting alongside rebel groups in Syria and there have been "several reported deaths of Australian citizens (in Syria)," Mr Brandis told the inaugural Interpol Global Security and Counter-Terrorism Convention in Sydney.

"In Australia, like many other countries, we are witnessing a growing trend of citizens travelling offshore to engage in, or support terrorist activities or conflict," he said.